Grandpa's Perfect Oatmeal

Source: Brent Johnson

One Large Serving:            Four Servings:

1 ½ cups water                4 ½  cups

1 cup old fashioned oats      3 cups

1 Tbsp. Butter                3 Tbsp

¼ tsp salt                    ¾ tsp

brown sugar, to taste

milk

Pour water into a large glass bowl, (must be large, or it will over boil) microwave until boiling rapidly. Quickly stir in oats, microwave for 3 more minutes.

Stir in butter, salt, sugar, and top with milk. Delish!

Oatmeal seems easy, but can easily become mushy and yucky. The trick is to get the water boiling fast, but don’t let it go too long so it evaporates. Open the microwave and stir in the oats quickly, and get the microwave started fast. The butter and the salt make all the difference!

Making more than 4 servings in one batch has always been disastrous for me.

Southwest Chicken Chili

Source: everydayfoodstorage.net

(My fastest dinner yet. Takes 15 minutes start to finish.)

1 cup chopped onion (frozen or ¼ cup dehydrated)

4 cloves minced garlic (or 4 tsp jarred)

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp oregano

3 15 oz cans great white northern beans, rinsed

1 4 oz can diced green chili peppers

4 cups chicken broth (or water with 4 bouillon cubes)

3 cups chopped cooked chicken (or 2 cans Costco chicken)

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Combine all ingredients, except cheese, in a large stock pot. Simmer for 10 min, or leave in crock pot on low. Just before serving, slowly stir in cheese until melted and soup thickens. Serve with sour cream.

I sometimes add extra beans to make this feed more. Also, I sometimes omit the cheese, and puree one can of the beans to thicken this soup, and serve cheese on the side-to save calories. Most types of shredded cheese work well, doesn't necessarily need to be Monterey Jack.

Pumpkin Soup

Source: Tami Richardson

1 onion, chopped (I use frozen pre-chopped)

4 cups chicken broth

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 bay leaf

1/8 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp curry powder

2 cups milk

1 tsp sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions in olive oil. Add other ingredients and simmer on medium high for 15 minutes. Puree with immersion blender or in blender in small batches. Serve with sour cream.

Pumpkin Bread

Source: mybakingaddiction.com

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 ½ cups sugar

3 ½ cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

½  tsp ground ginger

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp allspice

¼ tsp cloves

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two full size loaf pans. (I use Bakers Joy spray-it’s amazing)

In mixer, combine pumpkin, eggs, oil, water, vanilla and sugar until well blended.

Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Mix in chocolate chips if desired. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 60-70 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Source: Tami Richardson

(this is the highlight of every Thanksgiving at our house)

Crust:

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup melted butter

¼ cup sugar

Cheesecake:

3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 ¾ cup canned pumpkin

2/3 cup evaporated milk

2 Tbsp corn starch

1 ¼ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

Topping:

2 cups sour cream

½ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

For crust:

Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Press into bottom of 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min.

For cheesecake:

Beat cream cheese, sugar and brown sugar in mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg; beat well. Pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes until edge is set but center still moves slightly.

For topping:

Combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Spread over surface of hot cheesecake. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Cool in pan. Chill for 5 hours, best if chilled overnight.